Two British women, Rachael Harvey-Purkiss and Allison Condon, were killed in a multi-vehicle crash near Romania's border with Serbia while collecting dogs for the UK charity Homeward Bound. Reports say several dogs died in the collision, though at least one appears to have survived and is being cared for by a Romanian rescue. Homeward Bound expressed profound grief, calling the women "two beautiful rare diamonds," and Allison's daughter said she will travel to Romania to arrange repatriation.
Two British Women Killed in Romania Crash While Rescuing Dogs
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Two British women, Rachael Harvey-Purkiss from Essex and Allison Condon from Northamptonshire, have died after a multi-vehicle collision in Romania near the border with Serbia while on a dog rescue mission, authorities and media reports say.
The women were collecting animals on behalf of UK-based charity Homeward Bound, which supports street dogs in Turkey. Reports indicate several dogs also died in the crash, though at least one dog appears to have survived and is currently being cared for by a Romanian rescue organisation.
Homeward Bound said it was "devastated" and described Harvey-Purkiss and Condon as "two beautiful rare diamonds." The charity added: "Their hearts were full of nothing but love and care for animals. Today we are grieving in a way I can't explain to you... please give us some time to try to process this awful tragedy."
Allison Condon's daughter, Sammie Condon, thanked people on Facebook for "an incredible outpouring of support and kindness from across the world." She said the trip had been planned as a joyful mission to bring dogs to their new lives and that she believes at least one dog survived. Sammie added she will travel to Romania to make arrangements to repatriate her mother to the UK.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said it had not been approached for assistance but that staff are available 24/7 to support British nationals abroad. Local authorities in Romania are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the collision and the exact number of vehicles and animals involved remains subject to confirmation.
Note: This is a developing story and some details come from initial reports; official confirmations may follow.
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